Local and national SEO are similar in purpose. They’re both meant to put you at the top of Google search engine results pages (SERPs). The first few positions on Google get the most clicks, so it’s essential to get your SEO right to attract new customers. The main difference is where the visitors come from. Local search is focused on people who live near your business, whereas companies use national SEO to get as much traffic possible from the whole country. Local SEO yields good results for small and medium businesses that rely on local consumption. In contrast, national SEO is ideal for e-commerce shops or companies that can deliver goods and services nationwide.
Which Companies Should Focus On Local SEO?
Whether you’re a big or small company, all business owners dream about nationwide exposure. However, this isn’t always the best solution, as it can be expensive. Here are some of the best scenarios that will work well for local SEO:
- If your company is small or can’t handle much business, local SEO may be best. Serve your local community first to create a solid basis to build your business on.
- Local SEO is ideal for service providers who can’t or don’t want to travel to another city to provide their services, for example, tradesmen .
- Stick with local SEO if you’re not ready for a significant investment.
- Local SEO can provide you with the initial revenue that will help you expand a marketing campaign.
- If you are a brick and mortar business that is seeking customers to come to your store, local SEO will be best for you.
Which Companies Should Focus On National SEO?
The process for SEO nationwide can be more complex and requires a different approach. It can be a challenge, even for the experts. Here are some scenarios where national SEO is a better investment:
- If the only way to stay profitable is to sell your services or products nationwide. You often see this with corporations and franchisees who already have a local infrastructure in place in various regions—for example, retail clothing stores.
- Companies that are willing to expand and are focussed on growth. This gives you the option to increase the reach of the company.
- You can compete nationwide. One of the problems of this strategy is that lots of companies are competing for the top spots on Google. You’ll have to invest more over a longer period to compete with a broader market.
- National SEO is an excellent method for building your brand and gaining a marketing position. It can increase your sales, but it can also have a significant impact on your business by improving your reputation with your consumers.
- National SEO is a smart approach if you have a significant amount of funds available. If your priority is just to expand and increase your sales, then you can create your SEO budget to match and improve your rankings.
Effectively using SEO to reach your target market should be a part of your business strategy. The strategy should include whether you want to seek out customers locally or nationally. The scenarios mentioned above can help you with your decision. And, once you have a solid plan in place, you will begin to build and strengthen your brand, expand your reach, and before you know it, more and more customers will be finding your business. Here’s to YOUR success!
Carolyn R. Owens has over 25 years of proven experience and serves as a Career Strategist, Executive, and Leadership Coach. She is the President of Infinity Coaching, Inc., where she can help you up-level your skills so that you can up-level your income, career, business, or life. Infinity Coaching, Inc. provides organizational training and one-on-one and group coaching. Carolyn is certified to give both The Energy Leadership Index Assessment and Myers Briggs Type Indicator Assessment. You can find out more about both assessments and other products and services at https://infinitycoaching.net.
